5.18.2006

Ix-nay On The Azis-nay

Australian football fans heading for the World Cup in Germany next month have been warned to avoid mocking references to the country's World War II Nazi history. A travel advisory issued by the foreign affairs department says acts such as making a Nazi salute will not be treated as a joke. "German federal police authorities warn that the propensity for some foreign nationals to parody aspects of the Nazi era is both highly offensive and illegal in Germany," the department says on its website. "Overt displays of Nazi paraphernalia and the use of the Nazi salute are examples of this. "These prohibitions will be enforced through police officers, who will make every attempt to dissuade such behaviour before taking official action against foreign nationals." The warning points out that the "German authorities are making extensive preparations for security and will deploy large numbers of police throughout Germany leading up to and during the World Cup matches."